Russia’s President Vladimir Putin warned the U.S. Thursday not to take military action against Iran following the recent downing of an American drone and attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking on a televised call-in show, Putin said U.S. military action against Iran – which Washington blames for both events — would be a “catastrophe for the region as a minimum” and trigger an escalation of hostilities with unpredictable results.

The comments came just days after the Trump administration announced that 1,000 additional American troops would be deployed to the Middle East.

The Pentagon has said that deployment includes security forces and troops for additional surveillance and intelligence gathering in the region.

The downing of the drone by a surface-to-air missile earlier Thursday was the most recent Iranian provocation in the region, coming on the heels of a disputed attack on a pair of oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week — which the U.S. has blamed on Iran. – read more